Former Pottawatomie County deputy charged with faking pursuit, officer-involved shooting
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) — A former deputy has found himself on the wrong side of the law and now facing criminal charges after investigators said he faked a high-speed pursuit and officer-involved shooting.
"Everybody's going to make mistakes. When you cross the line, different story," said Sheriff Mike Booth of Pottawatomie County.
Sheriff Booth was talking about his former deputy, Taylor Smith.
Body camera footage from September 2021 showed him driving over 100 mph, during an alleged pursuit while on his phone and driving with his knee.
"I can't make out the name and model. It's a small red four-door sedan," Smith said on the radio.
According to court documents, during the chase Smith said he saw "A black male passenger armed with a long gun." Smith said he followed.
"I'm in a foot pursuit," he said on body camera footage. "He has a rifle, large back up. It was the front seat passenger. Red shirt, black male."
Minutes later, backup arrived and took Smith back to his car. Smith then drove over to a nearby gate.
"He said the guy hopped over a fence into this big field," said Sheriff Booth. "As he approached the fence, this guy started shooting at him so he returned fire."
Investigators said they never saw the suspect on the body camera footage. They also never heard the suspect's alleged gunshots, but they heard Smith's.
"Show me your hands!" said Smith after firing multiple rounds.
McIntyre Law Chopper 4 gave us an overhead look as authorities combed the areas for hours. However, court documents said "There were no obvious signs or tracks to follow" and that they "discovered no evidence to support the presence of the suspect at the location.”
"That's when I said everybody stop. Everybody come out. Call the OSBI. I want everything roped off. Nobody go from here," said Sheriff Booth. "I was highly skeptical about what I heard."
What investigators did fine, were Smith's shell casings along with surveillance footage from nearby buildings that showed Smith's patrol unit, but no sedan.
Other deputies responding to the scene told investigators they "observed no dust trails, or the suspected vehicle.
"Has anyone come across the vehicle yet?" a dispatcher said over the radio. "Negative," said a responding officer.
The sheriff said smith resigned during the investigation.
Smith now faces a misdemeanor charge of filing a false report.
News 4 called and messaged Smith, and called his attorney, but we didn't hear back.
"Of course, as a human being, you wonder 'Why this' or 'Why that' but you still just follow the facts," said Booth.